Essential Tips: Your First Job Interview In Canada

Job interview success will require you to prepare with these essential tips. We know that job interviews can be exciting, but they can also cause stress. However, when you prepare for your interview it will increase your confidence, reduce your stress, and lead to a positive experience.

These eight tips will help you to prepare for a positive interview experience.

1. 1. Know your strengths before your job interview in Canada

2. Know what’s required in your industry

3. Know what’s required in the job

4. Research the company

5. Prepare responses to common interview questions

6. Dress for success

7. Arrive on time and have extra copies of your resume

8. Take a deep breath

 

Essential Tips: Your First Job Interview in Canada

1. Know Your Strengths Before Your Job Interview in Canada

Focus on what strengths, skills, abilities, and experience you want to convey during your interview.  When you focus on your strengths, you’ll be positive and confident during your job interview. This will also help you especially if you feel nervous before your job interview.  Job interviews can be stressful, especially if you feel pressure to resume your career in Canada as soon as possible.

2. Know What’s Required in Your Industry

Knowledge is power when you interview for jobs in Canada. So you need to identify trends and changes within your industry. Factors like technology and globalization are contributing to rapid changes in most, if not all industries. So to be highly valuable in your chosen career, you need to know about: 

• Required credentials and designations you must have

• Related experience and education you must have 

• Knowledge of what’s changing in your industry.

Check out our Career Pathways resources to discover what’s required to work in Canada for more than 20 occupations in Canada. 

There are also many pre- and post-arrival settlement services that can help you to learn more about your industry in Canada. And some settlement agencies can provide you with one-to-one job counselling to prepare for job interviews.

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3. Know What’s Required in the Job

Read the job description and ensure you understand the job requirements. A helpful activity to prepare for an interview is to make a list of job responsibilities. For each responsibility, list relevant examples when you performed that responsibility in a previous job.

This activity will help you to:

• Identify how closely your skills and background match the job description

• Define exactly what you did so that you can discuss your experience

• Focus on the successful outcomes that you achieved.

The job description will also outline the credentials you require. If you do not have the credentials that the employer is seeking, make a plan to obtain them. Or, discuss if you’re in the process of obtaining those credentials at the time of your interview. This will show initiative and drive on your part.

Prepare to discuss your accomplishments and sell yourself. Canadian employers want to know how you can contribute to their success.

4. Research the Company Before Your Job Interview

This is an important step for several reasons. The recruiter will likely ask you what you know about the company.  So with proper research, you can prepare your answer, show interest in the company, and show your knowledge about:   

• The type of organization it is (public or private company, not-for-profit, start-up, etc.)

• Types of products or services they provide

• Interesting and relevant industry information related to the company

• What makes the company successful and why you want to work for the company.

You can use LinkedIn to learn about companies in Canada. LinkedIn is also helpful to develop and expand your professional network. Create a LinkedIn profile if you don’t already have one.  

In addition, your research will help you identify if this is the company where you would love to work. In other words, does the company culture and its values align with what is important to you? Factors that may be important to you might include whether the company is recognized for being:

• Innovative

• Socially responsible

• Environmentally friendly

• An industry leader, or 

• An Employer of Choice.

5. Prepare Responses to Common Interview Questions

Most interviewers will ask questions about your experience, qualifications, and fit for the job. And here are some common questions that you can expect and prepare for in advance:

• Tell me about yourself.

Prepare for this question by providing a short and clear answer that describes your career path and why you have applied for this position.

• Why should we hire you?

Provide a clear picture of how your skills, experience, and personality match the job requirements. The more specific you can be, the easier it will be for the interviewer to assess if you are the right fit for the job.

• Tell me about the best job you had and what you enjoyed?

The interviewer is assessing your fit for the job. For example, do the elements that you most enjoyed in your best job exist in the job that you’re interviewing for?

6. Dress for Success for Your Job Interview

Decide what you will wear to the interview.  You’ll feel more confident wearing a clean and neat outfit that fits properly. If you’re unsure if you should dress casually or formally, it’s best to dress in more formal attire. Dressing too casually may send the wrong message to the recruiter or hiring manager. It’s better to dress more formally and err on the side of caution so you don’t feel uncomfortable about how you’re dressed.

Most workplaces in Canada have a scent-free policy to protect people with allergies. So, avoid wearing perfume or cologne. This will also allow the interviewer to focus on your stellar qualifications and not be distracted by a strong scent. You also want to avoid wearing too much jewelry.  Again, you want the interviewer to focus on you and your solid responses.

7. Arrive on Time and Have Extra Copies of Your Resume

Nothing will be more stressful than arriving late for your interview. So give yourself enough time and aim to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the interview. This will allow you time to mentally and physically prepare for the interview and calm any pre-interview jitters you may have. 

8. Take a Deep Breath Before Your Job Interview

Getting nervous before an interview is a common response. So it’s important to think of how you can manage that nervous energy before you go into your interview. One helpful strategy is to regulate your breathing. Before your interview take a few deep breaths and: 

• Inhale through your nose and count for four seconds

• Exhale through your mouth and count for four seconds.

When you take deep breaths you send a message to your brain that will help you to relax. This will help you to stay focused and provide clear responses to interview questions.

When you follow these interview tips, hopefully, you will receive a job offer so that you can resume your career in Canada. However, even if you don’t get a job offer, you can be proud of your effort and consider this interview as an important practice for your next interview! All the experience that you get will only improve your interview skills and performance.